Magnetic clutch for bobbins.



- A. K. MILLER.

MAGNETIC CLUTCH FOR BOBBINS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. H 1911- I Patented Aug. 14,- 1917.

ALFRED K. MILLER, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

MAGNETIC CLUTCH FOR BOBBINS.

Application filed November 11, 1911.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFR D K. MILLER, of l Vorcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Magnetic Clutches for Bobbins, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to devices in the nature of bobbins, spools, tubes, spindles and the like on which yarn or thread is automatically wound, and the object briefly stated is to provide a disconnectible clutch which will drive such a Winding member in a suiiiciently positive manner to cause the yarn to be wound with the desired tension, and will permit the winding member to be stopped when breakage or snarling of the yarn occurs. In other words my object is to make possible the employment of a stop motion with winding or spinning machines. To

explain further the purpose of my invention I may state that some winding machines, for instance those used for twisting and winding up threads intended to be subsequently used as warp threads in a loom, have a large number of bobbins driven simultaneously, and each receiving its own filling of yarn or thread. lrVith such machines it has been hitherto impossible to provide any practical form of stop motion for individual bobbins whereby any one may be automatically stopped whenever the yarn being wound upon it breaks. These machines also have given trouble owing to the character of the clutches employed to drive the bobbins, and the liability of such clutches failing to be properly connected, whereby the bobbins are driven too slowly and fail to twist the yarn tightly enough. My invention provides a form of clutch adapted to such machines among others, which clutch is of such a character as to be sure in action, and also of such character that it can be disconnected either manually or by an automatic stop mo tion when the machine is in full operation and the bobbins rotate at full speed.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 represents one possible embodiment of my invention shown in elevation with parts broken away.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing one of the possible ways of wiring the electro-magnetic clutch.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 14, 1917.

Serial No. 659,845.

Fig. 5 is a partial elevation similar to Fig. 1, showing a modification.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

Referring to the drawings, 64 represents a spindle which is secured at its lower end in a stationary rail or bar 5 and passes through a movable rail 0. The latter is adapted to move up and down for the purpose of distributing the windings on the bobbin, hereinafter described, in a manner well known.

Loosely surrounding the spindle is a sleeve (Z, of which a part is formed as a pulley 6 receiving a driving belt f. This sleeve carries a plate or disk 9 in which are mounted the cores hof one or more electro-magnets, such cores terminating in poles 2' which are visible in Fig. 1. Each of the pole pieces is surrounded by a winding j of wire constituting an electro-magnet. Where more than one magnet is provided such magnets may be wound in series or parallel, and in either direction, as preferred. The opposite terminals of the magnet winding or windings are connected respectively to rings c and Z which are mounted upon an insulated bushing or disk on surrounding the spindle, and are further isolated by systems of insulation shown at n, 0 and p in Fig. 1. These rings are engaged respectively by brushes 9 and T which are mounted upon an insulated post 8 secured to the rail 0 and are insulated from each other, forming with the rings slip contacts for supplying current to the magnet or magnets from any suitable source of power. For the purpose of illustration I have indicated as the source of current a battery t.

Loosely surrounding the spindle above the electro-magnet is a bobbin a on which the yarn or thread is to be wound. This bobbin has a flange c on which, on the side next to the magnet, is secured a plate w of metal subject to magnetic attraction, such as soft iron. This plate overlies the magnet poles z and is attracted by them when energized. A light spring 50 tends to separate the bobbin from the pole pieces and is just suiticient in strength to lift the bobbin with its accumulation of yarn or thread when the magnet is demagnetized.

When the electric current is passed through the magnet the latter attracts the armature plate w, holding it in contact with the poles 2', and exerting suflicient force to cause the bobbin to rotate at the same speed as the sleeve (Z which carries the magnet. lVhenever the magnet circuit is broken the magnet loses its energy and the spring :0 is permitted to move the armature plate out of contact with the magnet poles, thereby allowing the bobbin to come to rest because the friction of the spring 00 is too light to keep it in rotation.

It is to be understood that the winding machine upon which this spindle is mounted is equipped with a large number of spindles and bobbins driven at exceedingly high speed. It is my purpose to equip each of the spindles and bobbins with one of these electro-magnetio clutches, each having its own branch circuit and some sort of a switch or circuit-closing device by which the circuit may be closed or opened when necessary. In order to indicate in the drawing that some switch device is contemplated with my invention, 1 have shown switch 2 which is intended to be typical of any sort of automatically or manually operated circuit closer which may be used. I propose to use in connection with the circuit closer a stop motion controlled by the yarn in such a way that whenever the yarn breaks the circuit is also broken and the bobbin allowed to stop until the ends can be joined. By providing each of the bobbins with such a clutch, it is possible to stop them independently and immediately when such a breakage occurs, without stopping the whole machine or even the driving mechanism for any particular bobbin.

My invention is applicable to all sorts of winding machines whether for winding yarn upon bobbins, spindles, or tubes of various kinds, or for winding thread upon spools. I consider that it may be used with the spindles and bobbins of spinning machines of all characters, and that as so used it will meet a real need, for hitherto it has never been possible to provide automatic stop motions with such machines.

The modification in Fig. 5 represents a reversal of the idea hereinbefore illustrated and described, according to which the bobbin is normally clutched to the driver and is unclutched therefrom when the magnet is made active. Interposed between the magnet or magnets j and the flange c of the bobbin is a clutch member 10 which has projections or positive clutch elements 11 of any suitable character adapted to engage complemental clutch elements 1.2, such as notches or complemental teeth or the like, in the flange c, or in a clutch member connected to the bobbin. The bobbin is loosely mounted on the spindle and is pre vented from descending below a certain height thereon, while the clutch member 10 is free to move up and down between the bobbin and the magnets. A spring as tends to press the clutch member 10 yieldingly toward the bobbin flange and to hold the clutch elements 11 and 12 in engagement. Continuous rotation is imparted mechanically from the revolving magnet to the clutch member 10, through the spring or by other means, so that when the clutch is operatively engaged with the bobbin, the latter rotates. Normally no current flows through the electro-magnet, and the latter is dead wnile the bobbin is in motion. Upon sending a current through the magnet, however, the clutch 10 is attracted and moved in opposition to the weaker force of the spring 00, so as to release the clutch from the bobbin. It will be seen that this embodiment of the invention is the same in principle as that first described. The only difference essentially between the two embodiments f the invention is that one describes a magnetic coupling of the clutch and the other describes a. normally connected clutch and a means for magnetically uncoupling the clutch, one embodiment being thus the reverse of the other.

I claim,

l. The combination with a stationary spindle, of a driving element rotatably mounted on said spindle, a winding element also rotatably mounted on said spindle, and a clutch including an electro-magnetic member mounted to rotate with said driving element and a complemental member connected with the winding element.

2. The combination with a stationary spindle, of a winding element mounted to rotate on said spindle, a driving element mounted to rotate on said spindle a friction clutch between said winding and driving elements having parts which are connected with said winding and driving elements respectively, and an electro-magnetic means carried by one of said elements for producing friction between said parts.

3. The combination with a stationary spindle, of a winding element mounted to rotate thereon, a driving element rotatably mounted on said spindle, an electro-magnet carried by one of said members, and a complemental armature carried by the other member and adapted to be drawn into frictional engagement with the pole piece of said magnet.

L. In a winding machine, a stationary spindle, a bobbin surrounding and rotatable freely on said spindle, an electro-magnet mounted to rotate upon said spindle, an armature carried by the bobbin adjacent to the poles of such magnet, means for rotating the magnet, and means for transmitting electric current thereto.

5. The combination of a stationary spindle, a winding element mounted to rotate on said spindle, a driver therefor also rotatably mounted on said spindle, complemental clutch members carried by said element and driver respectively, one of which clutch member is susceptible to magnetic attraction,

and means for magnetizing the other member, whereby to cause coupling of said memers.

6. The combination of a spindle, a winding element mounted to rotate on said spindle, a driver therefor also rotatably mounted on said spindle, complemental clutch members carried by said element and driver respectively, one of which clutch members is an electromagnet and the other of which is susceptible to magnetic attraction, slip contacts arranged to conduct an electric current to and from said magnet, and means for closing and opening the circuit of such contacts.

7. The combination of a stationary spindle, a winding element mounted to rotate on said spindle, a driver therefor also rotatably mounted on said spindle, complemental clutch members carried by said element and driver respectively, one of which clutch members is an electromagnet and the other of which is susceptible to magnetic attraction, slip contacts arranged to conduct an electric current to and from said magnet, means for closing or opening the circuit of such contacts, and yielding means tending to separate said clutch members.

8. In a magnetic clutch for bobbins the combination with a spindle of a bobbin loose thereon and having an armature fast on its base, a magnet loose on the spindle and disposed adjacent the armature, means for rotating the magnet, yieldable spacing means Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the interposed between the armature and magyarn, the combination of a fixed spindle or bearing member, a bobbin or winding element mounted upon said bearing spindle and rotatable freely about the same, said bobbin having an armature alfixed to one end, a driving member comprising an electromagnet and a rigidly associated belt driven pulley mounted rotatably adjacent to the said armature bearing end of the bobbin and arranged with the pole pieces of the magnet extending toward said armature, a spring interposed between the magnet and bobbin tending to separate the armature from the magnet, and sliding electrical connections for connecting the winding of the electromagnet in circuit with a source of electric energy.

10. The combination of a stationary spindle, a winding element mounted to rotate on said spindle, a driver for said element also mounted to rotate on said spindle, and magnetically controlled means for governing the connection and disconnection of said element respectively with and from the driver, said means including an electromagnet carried by one of said elements.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED K. MILLER.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR H. BROWN, P. W. PEZZETTI,

Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

